Latch mechanism



Feb. 19, 1957 Q. T. LEWIS LATCH MECHANISM 2 She etS-Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1953 Da/a Taft Lew/s INVENTOR.

BY WWW Feb. 19, 1957,

Filed May 18, 1953 D. T. LEWIS 2,781,567

LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dola Taff Lewis uvmvroze.

Y B W EM LATCH MECHANISM Dola Taft Lewis, Beaufort, N.-C. ,assignor of one-half to Uzzell Lewis, Beaufort, .N. C.

Application May 18, 1953, Serial No. 355,598

3 Claims. --(Cl. 24-128) This invention relates townew and useful improvements in row marker control apparatus and the primary object of the present invention is .to provide .a novel and improved :latch mechanism for the row marker control apparatus disclosed in my U. 8. Patent No. 2,586,356, issued February 19., 195-2.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a latch mechanism involving the ,pull of rope and a locking member engageable with an abutment on the rope to retain the rope against movement in one direction until the rope has been moved backwardly to clear the locking member whih is spring urged to a position clear of the abutment.

A further object of the presentrinvention is -to.-provide a latch mechanism involving a pivotally mounted spring urged, latch releasing arm which will engage the abutment on the rope after the abutment has cleared the locking member and is moved to its initial position for the purpose of engaging the locking member to urge the locking member again in the path of the abutment.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a latch mechanism that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, efiicient and durable in operation, small and compact in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a tractor equipped with a front mounted hydraulically actuated implement and a marker which is operatively connected to the implement through the medium of the present latch mechanism so that the marker may be automatically raised and lowered by the power lift of the tractor;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the casing of the present invention and showing the latch mechanism parts in their initial position and related to the actuating rope;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the abutment of the rope initially engaged with the locking member to shift the locking member;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the position of the locking member after the abutment has been moved back from the position illustrated in Figure 3; and,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4 but showing the manner in which the locking member is again moved to its starting position by the abutment on the rope actuating the release arm.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral represents the latch mechanism generally, including a ited States Patent 6 Patented Feb. 1.9, 1957 ICE casing or hollow support 12 having an opening 14 at one end. The supporting shaft :16 of a pulley 18 is suitably secured between the side walls of the casing 12 at the opening 14 to rotatably'support the pulley within the casing.

A pin 20 is suitably fixed between the side walls of casing 12 parallel to shaft 16. The pin 20 is disposed in a slot 22 formed in the enlarged leg portion 24 of a substantially V-shaped locking member 26 to pivotally and slidably support the member 26. A stop lug or pin 28 fixed in housing 12 is adapted to be engaged with the other leg portion 30 of member 26 under a condition later to be described.

-One end 32 of a convoluted spring 34 is engaged with the laterally projecting seat-lug 36 of a ;.pin 38 fixed in casing 12. The other end 40 of spring 34 is engaged about an anchor pin 42 fixed t0 and projecting outwardly from leg portion 24 intermediate the ends of the slot 22.

A spring urged pivotally mounted releasing arm 44 is pivoted at-one end 46 to a pin 48 secured to casing 12. A coil spring 56) has one of its ends anchored to the casing 12 and its other end engages an anchor lug 52 fixed to end 46 to yiel'dingly urge the arm 44 radially of the pulley 18 as shown in Figures .2 and .3 and close to the rope R engaged over the pulley 1-3 to be engaged by a iknot-or abutment .A provided in the rope.

The locking member 26 and spring .34ihave two positive, related, .positions which are illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. In the first of these positions, the end 40 of spring 34 is disposed at one side of pin 20 and member 26 is urged toward pulley 18 with leg portion 30 disposed close to rope R and in the path of abutment A. In the second related position of spring 34 and member 26, the end 40 of spring 34 is disposed at the other side of pin 26 and member 26 is urged away from the pulley with leg portion 39 engaged against stop lug 28.

In practical use of the present invention, assuming the latch mechanism to be arranged as shown in Figure 2, the rope R is moved in the direction of arrow F and the abutment A engages the end of leg portion 30 to shift the member 26 to the position shown in Figure 3 as the rope is pulled to move the abutment over the pulley. As long as tension is applied to theportion of rope R over the pulley in the direction of arrow F, the leg portion will remain engaged with abutment A and the rope cannot be pulled over the pulley in the direction of the arrow F although the member 26 has been shifted as shown in Figure 3.

When pull on the rope in the direction of arrow F is released to move rope R in the direction of arrow B, in Figure 4, to space abutment A back from leg portion 30, spring 34 whose end 40 has now been shifted across the pin 20 will urge member 26 away from pulley 18 and leg portion 30 will be urged by spring 34 against stop lug 28, so that the abutment A will be pulled over the pulley to clear leg portion 30 as the rope is again moved in the direction of arrow F.

After the abutment has been moved over the pulley 18 with rope R, the abutment will engage and move arm 44 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4 and the abutment will pass arm 44, the arm being returned to its full line position shown in Figure 4 by spring 50.

As the rope R is again moved in the direction of arrow B in Figure 5, the abutment A will engage arm 44 and carry the arm 44 toward the member 26 so that arm 44 will engage leg portion 24 to slide the member 26 and move end 40 of spring 34 back across pin 20. Then, member 26 will be disposed in its original position and abutment A may move past leg portion 30 to be disposed in its initial position as shown in Figure 2 for repeated use of the latch mechanism.

The invention may be employed in many environments,

for example, the same may replace the tractor mounted latch means disclosed in my previously referred patent. In this capacity, the casing 12 will be provided with an aperture 60 for engaging a mount bracket 62 on the tractor T. The front mounted swingably actuated implement I of the tractor T will be connected to one end of the rope R and the other end of rope R will be connected to the vertically swingably mounted marking device or marker D carried by the tractor so that the marker D can be raised and lowered by the power lift of the tractor. The latch will catch the rope one time and will release the rope the next time, to automatically raise and lower the marker D.

The present invention also provides a useful device for use in sliding sash or overhead doors with the abutment being engaged with the leg portion 30 as long as the sash or door pulls the rope in the direction of arrow F to restrict accidental closing of the sash or door until the rope R is moved to the direction of arrow B to release the abutment after which the sash or door may be closed.

Many other useful purposes are obviously suggested by the latch mechanism where controlled movement of a movable member relative to a stationary member or to a second movable member is desired. Therefore, this description is not to be interpreted as limiting the invention to the particular environment illustrated.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A latch mechanism comprising a casing, a pulley in the casing, a rope having an abutment and trained over said pulley for moving the abutment in opposite directions, a pin in said casing, a rope locking member swingable on said pin in opposite directions into abutment engaging and disengaging positions respectively, a compression spring having its ends attached to said casing and to said member for swinging the member into abutment engaging and disengaging positions by exerting pressure against said member upon opposite sides of said pin, said member being slotted for sliding on said pin in opposite directions to cause said spring to exert pressure against said member at opposite sides of the pin, said abutment in one direction of movement thereof sliding said member in its abutment engaging position in one direction to cause said spring to exert pressure against the member for swinging the member into abutment disengaging position, said pin engaging one end of the slot to stop sliding movement of said member in said one direction to limit-movement of said abutment in said one direction whereby to latch said rope against movement in the same direction.

2. A latch as in claim 1, and a pivoted arm in said casing swingable against said member to slide the member in the opposite direction to cause said spring to exert pressure against said member for swinging the member into abutment disengaging position, said arm being operatively engaged by said abutment in response to movement of the abutment in the opposite direction.

3. A latch as in claim 1, and a stop in said casing for limiting swinging of said member into abutment disengaging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,962 Ebert June 30, 1891 828,379 Burbank Aug. 14, 1906 

